Leonardo da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa' copy fetches over $242K at Paris auction

Dating back to around 1600, the copy looks strikingly similar to the original.

By Reuters | Updated: Nov 12, 2021, 11.14 AM IST

The copy of Leonardo da Vinci's famous Mona Lisa, painted on a panel around 1600, is displayed at the Artcurial auction house in Paris, Monday, Nov. 8, 2021.

A faithful copy of Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa," one of the world's most recognisable portraits, sold for 210,000 euros ($242,634) at a Paris auction on Tuesday.

The auction house, Artcurial, had estimated the copy, dating from around 1600 and looking strikingly similar to the original, would fetch 150,000 to 200,000 euros.

Leonardo's original, which French King Francois I bought from the painter in 1518, can be found in Paris' Louvre museum, drawing huge crowds to see its enigmatic smile.

In June, a European collector bought another 17th-century copy of the "Mona Lisa" for 2.9 million euros, a record for a reproduction of the work, at Christie's in Paris.

In 2017, Christie's New York sold Leonardo's "Salvator Mundi" for $450 million.

From $3.8 Mn To $200 Mn, Stolen Van Gogh, Raphael Artworks That Were Never Found

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Earlier this month, a missing part of British monument Stonehenge (representative image) was returned to the historical site after 60 years. In the art world, however, once an artefact is stolen, it’s rarely found again.

(Text: Viandra D'souza)